Marjorie Johnson, Head of Voluntary Sector Relations, ABPI (Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry), writes:
To voluntary Health Organisations
Dear Colleague
New global clinical trials register
Many representatives of voluntary health groups have told us they believe that the public should have much greater access to the results of clinical trials of medicines. ABPI agrees with that view.
In May 2003, the ABPI launched a website publishing details of clinical trials of medicines involving UK patients https://www.cmrinteract.com/clintrial. This launch was the result of an ABPI policy to encourage its members to voluntarily provide details of phase III trials involving UK patients on a publicly accessible website. The trials would be registered three months after marketing the medicine in a first major market. We believe this was the first industry specific clinical trial register to be made available to the public. Currently it contains 116 trials.
Subsequently, discussions began on developing a worldwide website for registration and publication of industry-sponsored trials. In the meantime, a number of other initiatives to provide information to the public have been put in place, e.g. some specific company websites and, in America, the development of www.clinicaltrials.gov .
The major pharmaceutical trade associations in the world, including the ABPI, have been discussing how to provide the public with more information on clinical trials. On 6 January 2005, an international industry agreement was announced whereby the global pharmaceutical industry proposes to:
- register, at inception, all its clinical trials designed to investigate therapeutic benefit of a medicine
- provide a summary of the results, whether positive or negative, within one year of a medicine being first marketed.
These proposals will come into fruition during 2005 and ABPI will keep you informed of developments.
Reccommendations to the Health Select Committee
To see the ABPI press announcement on its recommendation to the House of Commons Health Select Committee inquiry on the pharmaceutical industry's influence, click on
Regards
Marjorie Johnson
Head of Voluntary Sector Relations
ABPI
12 Whitehall
London SW1A 2DY
